» Juniors

We’re thrilled you’re playing tennis and seeking out more ways to get in the game. We hope you grow to love tennis as much as we do! To make sure that’s the case, we want to do everything possible to help you have a rewarding experience every time you step on the court. A big part of that is knowing your rating. Once you have a rating, we can group you with players of similar skill levels, because everyone has more fun – and improves their games faster – by playing against evenly matched opponents.

Whether you are just starting out, or have been competing for years, here you will find guidance on junior ratings.

What Are Junior Ratings?

A Junior National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) rating is a measuring tool that indicates a standard of play that allows players to track their progress as they develop their games. An accurate rating should give a player access to level-based competition. Level-based competition is about grouping players according to ability, regardless of age or gender. For example, players might be grouped together in compatible rating intervals such as 2.4 to 2.7 or 3.1 to 3.3.

Junior Ratings help us match opponents of similar skill levels by placing players within a defined scale using a consistent mathematic algorithm. The rating scale for junior players is shown in tenths, starting with 2.0, which is the lowest, progressing to 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, etc., until you reach 7.0, which is the highest rating.

For adult players the rating scale is shown in .5 increments, starting with 2.0, which is the lowest, and progressing to 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, etc., until you reach 7.0, which is the highest rating. Junior ratings are updated every two weeks, whereas adult ratings are updated and published once a year (in December).

Why Ratings?

Ratings are designed to reward you for competing, inspire you to develop your game, and offer the opportunity to compete more regularly and to be the best you can be.

Ratings are a great solution for tournament acceptance and seeding. In non-elimination formats, ratings are a great way to group players of similar ability together in round-robin groups and compass draws – all with a goal of encouraging a positive experience.

How Do I Get My Rating?

If you have played a minimum of four matches in the last 18 months in any of the following, then you more than likely have a dynamic rating. If you have not participated in any of these events in the last 18 months then you will have to self-rate.

Click here to find your rating! You must be logged in to your TennisLink account in order to search for a junior rating level. If you don’t have a rating, then you can self-rate in three simple ways.

How Do I Self-Rate?

If you are new to USTA-sanctioned competition, you will need to complete the self-rate process. Players should rate themselves based on their overall tennis ability. If players are stronger at singles or doubles, they should base their rating on the stronger game.

The rating descriptions are generalizations about skill levels and are simply here to guide you. You may find that you play above or below the category, depending on your competitive ability. The rating level you choose is not meant to be permanent and may be adjusted as your skills change or as your match play demonstrates the need for reclassification. Ultimately, your rating is based upon match results.

Be sure to rate yourself accurately. For example, if you are a 3.5 player and are planning to play on a 3.5 and a 4.0 team, you must self-rate at 3.5. If you self-rate at 4.0 you would not be allowed to play on a 3.5 team.

Once you declare an initial self-rating, you are bound by it until you generate a dynamic rating.

If you have any questions, ask a coach or parent to help guide you through the process. All information gathered from players completing the questionnaires will be used solely for purposes relating to the Junior Rating.

Junior Self-Rate Process

To get a rating you will first need a USTA account. Click here to create an account!

After you obtain a USTA account, then you can complete the self-rate process. In order to self-rate, you must be logged in to TennisLink. The self-rate process is only available when you’re registering for an event that requires ratings.

If players don’t have a junior rating, they can self-rate in three simple ways:
1.Self-select your own level by comparing yourself to players you compete with regularly who have a rating.

2.Select a rating on the self-rate form. On the self-rate form you will be asked to select your rating based on rating descriptions. You will have the opportunity to adjust the suggested rating level before saving it. Click here to review the Ratings Characteristics.

3.Complete a quick and easy questionnaire. After filling out the simple questionnaire, you will receive a suggested rating level. You will have the opportunity to adjust the suggested rating level before saving it. Click here to preview the questionnaire.

How to find competitions that require ratings:
•Click here to find a tournament near you!

Players will register for a tournament or league through TennisLink. If they have no rating on file, the player will be required to declare a self-rating before completing the registration.

After each match, the scores will be entered online in TennisLink. These results will be calculated in the dynamic NTRP computer program. Each individual match is evaluated in terms of win/loss, the closeness of the score, and the score outcome that was expected based on the ratings of the players in the match. Matches for the last eighteen months are evaluated with more recent matches weighted more heavily in the calculation.